Hewittist revolution triumphs in Commonwealth of New Virginia; Party of Red July secures Presidency and Vice Presidency in special election

the insignia of the Party of Red July, New Virginia's now-governing Hewittist party

Just over one year following the collapse of the 29th of July Movement's Revolution, the Party of Red July - a Hewittist revolutionary party - has secured the Presidency and Vice Presidency of the Commonwealth of New Virginia in the first ever popular election for those offices, defeating the anti-revolutionary Commonwealth Renewal Movement under Elizabeth Lewis.

​The PRJ was established by the respected Mother Hewitt, who currently serves as the outgoing Acting President of the Commonwealth, to serve as an affiliate of the Blair Mountain League within New Virginia; however, she made it apparent she would not contest the leadership of the new party. Comrade James Bornstein, the current Speaker of the New Virginian House of Burgesses, was elected Chairman of the Party by acclamation of its members.

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For the majority of the campaign season, the Party of Red July had only put forward one candidate: Comrade Newton von Uberquie for Vice President on the ticket of Sophia Albina, leader of the Free Democratic Party. Albina withdrew her nomination mere days from the election, and von Uberquie declared his own candidacy for President with Mother Hewitt as his running mate.

Comrades von Uberquie and Hewitt had less than one day to campaign; however they were successful in rallying popular support, and on election day they defeated the opposing candidates - Elizabeth Lewis, leader of the anti-revolutionary Commonwealth Renewal Movement, and her running mate Simon White, the current, longest-serving, and final Prime Minister of the Commonwealth; however, Lewis relinquished her citizenship prior to the conclusion of the voting period, meaning that her ticket was invalid and all votes cast for her were officially counted as spoiled ballots. The results of the election are as follows:

• Newton von Uberquie (PRJ) and Brooklyn Hewitt (PRJ) - 8 votes (57.1%)
• Elizabeth Lewis (CRM) and Simon White (Ind.) - 6 votes (42.9%)

​The inauguration of the new President and Vice President is expected to take place in the coming week via the New Virginia Discord server. Mother Hewitt has announced that the Von Uberquie Administration's first action will be to schedule an emergency election for the Vice Presidency which she will not contest in, as she "didn't expect to win" and wishes to retire from the politics of the Commonwealth so as to focus all of her efforts on developing the New Richmond Republic.

The victory of the Party of Red July comes as a shock to many politicians and observers within the Commonwealth and abroad, as the July Revolution for which the Party was named was thought to be incredibly unpopular among the lands of the Commonwealth that didn't secede following the revolutionary government's collapse (such as the NRR). The victory has mostly been attested to what many have described as "arrogance" on the part of Elizabeth Lewis, who often made remarks in campaign venues that she was guaranteed victory and that she would easily defeat the "communists". 

The leadership of the PRJ has stated that it intends to develop and construct a microsocialist society through Hewittism adapted to the material conditions and political culture of the Commonwealth - the eponymous Hewitt herself has signaled her support for such an effort, stating that the political theories applied within the New Richmond Republic would not suit the Commonwealth. The President-Elect, Newton von Uberquie, has said he intends to use his experience as a left-wing leader in the Abeldane Empire to "build a flourishing socialist democracy [in the Commonwealth]," and that he wants to deliver large-scale police reforms. President von Uberquie will serve as head of state and chief executive as the Commonwealth enacts its second Constitution and moves into a new era.